Years ago, I watched a television show where a hypnotist came on stage. Eventually, other people came on stage, and he hypnotized them. To the humorous delight of the audience, the hypnotist caused the participants to chase rabbits that weren't there and made them believe an object was very hot or cold when it was not. The hypnotist even had individuals thinking and acting like they were three years old. The hypnotist had the participants do many other bizarre acts that he suggested to them. The people who came on the stage fell prey to suggestions and thoughts that were not real.
To lesser and greater degrees, the news may have unconsciously hypnotized us into thinking that what we see is the ultimate Truth. There is no doubt that a lot is going on in our country and the world today – COVID-19, unrest sparked by the killing of George Floyd and others, as well as political and cultural divisiveness, to name a few. But we must make a distinction between the facts (which these events are) and Truth. Facts are temporary and can be changed. Truths are the eternal and changeless qualities of God, such as divine love, generosity, compassion, harmony, creativity, and beauty.
Of course, we cannot ignore the facts. That would be delusional. We acknowledge facts, and the circumstances we face in our country and the world, but realize they do not have the final word. The eternal qualities of Spirit are who and what we are. But we must wake up from the intoxicated sleep and break free of the hypnotic spell that keeps many focused and stuck on the temporal. With that awakening, we can lift our vision and see the divine and perfect spiritual ideas that are forever seeking to express itself through and in us.
There is the story in which one of his students asked Buddha, “Are you the messiah?” Buddha answered, "No." The student then asked Buddha whether he was a healer, or a teacher. Buddha again replied, "No." The exasperated pupil then asked, "Then what are you?" Buddha replied, "I am awake."
We are here to be devoted to spiritual practices so that we wake up to the Truth that the goodness of God is all there is, so that this consciousness births itself as our life and being. The factual circumstances that we face, while challenging, can serve as an evolutionary trigger to remind us to wake up to the Truth that life is good, health and wholeness is our true essence, and we can create a world that works for everyone. Sometimes we don’t see that Truth until it’s temporarily lost. But we have the power to reclaim it once we wake up and see life with the right perspective and then take the necessary action to usher it into our day-to-day experience.
Peace and Blessings,
James